Totally Breathable Covers (wool and polyester fleece)

(see further down the page for the wraps you can buy here) These are totally breathable as there is no "waterproofing" applied to the inside of the covers. Most are made from wool, although, some are also made from polyester fleece. My preference is for the wool as this the ultimately green option, asynthetic that could take up to 500 years to decompose. However, a small minority of babies are sensitive to the lanolin or wool, and they will be better with the polyester fleece option.

Notes on using wool wraps. Once wool has been treated with lanolin, it is naturally waterproof. It is the lanolin secreted from the sheep's skin that keeps the rain from penetrating their wool coat and soaking the sheep to the skin. Have you ever seen a sodden sheep in the rain? The water mostly runs off. The lanolin is largely lost in the manufacturing process so it needs to be replaced. Wash only by hand in soap and the treatment lasts a long time, several months sometimes. If it does start to lose it's waterproof properties, you can retreat yourself, either with an easy use wool cure solution, or with soap and pure lanolin. (Instructions included with every wool wrap). This all sounds a bit like hard work, but in fact you only need to wash these wraps every few weeks unless they are pooped on. What could be easier care than that? You should have at least two if you wish to use them most of the time as they need to be rotated, one wear on baby and then air next time. This way the urine on the inside evaporates and the wrap is ready to use next time again. When you remove the wrap it will feel damp on the inside and smell very, very slightly of urine, and I do mean very slightly. Leave it to air before the next use and it no longer smells, truly, it really doesn't.

Wool is truly breathable and excellent for babies who get repeated rashes as the temperature in side the wrap is several degrees lower than in other waterproof wraps. The moisture is gently evaporated away from the outside surface and baby stays less wet on the inside. It does sound a little incredible to think these wraps can be waterproof but it's true. I was very sceptical until I plucked up the courage to try one and I am a total convert (as I'm sure you can tell). I wish we'd always used them, and our daughter sleeps in our bed! We wouldn't want a wet bed and indeed we didn't have one. I used a wool wrap every night from 1 year until our daughter was dry at night (3 years old).

So how do they work? Wool has it's own level of absorbency, but it absorbs very much slower than cotton. So first of all, a wool wrap adds some extra absorbency to the nappy system. As the wetness gets absorbed by the wool, it works it's way through the layers so very slowly, that it starts to evaporate off the outer surface as it comes through. Evaporation uses up heat, therefore cooling the outside of the cover as the wetness dries away. You may find the outside of your baby's clothing feels a little clammy after a night of wearing a wool cover and with a very wet nappy inside. However, remove the clothing, and feel it a minute or so later. It will not feel wet. In fact you have just felt the cooling effect of the evaporation, and not wetness. When you remove the cover and feel the nappy itself, you will notice that it feels cooler than when you have used a PUL or similar wrap. So the wool is not waterproof, more water resistant, and therefore, the wetness comes though so slowly that is has the chance to evaporate away before it makeseverything wet.

Most brand new wool wraps improve with several lanolin treatments, and you may find they will not perform at their best until this has been done. I have found it is good to do 2 or 3 treatments in the first month of use and that after the third treatment the wool seems to be well conditioned, and then shouldn't need another treatment for a good few weeks. 

Wool covers returns policy - Since most brand new wool wraps don't work at their best until used, washed and lanolin treated a little, by which time you can't return them as unused if they don't work for you, I am prepared to offer a special returns policy on wool nappy covers only. I will refund a single wrap of each type, in full, for up to three months after purchase, used or not. This only applies if you have followed the instructions properly, and used proper lanolin cure to treat them. It does not apply to covers that don't fit properly, as you can work this out before you use, wash and treat the covers. All I ask, is that you call me to discuss this before sending it back, as I would like the opportunity for feedback, as to why you think they didn't work for you. This will enable me to offer a better advice service for future customers. You will not be pressured into keeping the wraps, if you really feel they don't work for you. In fact, I expect very few returns, as I know that all the wool covers we sell, do work, although some are better for night than others. I am confident enough about wool, that I know I can offer this additional return policy for the wool covers. 

Just one point to bear in mind, despite the fact that these wraps are promoted as excellent for babies with sensitive skin and eczema, I would like to point out that some people, babies included, can be sensitive to wool and or lanolin. This is in fact very rare, but if you would like to try a wool wrap, please test some pure wool on your baby's skin or buy just one wrap to test first, although I will take back a wool wrap that caused a sensitivity reaction under the above returns policy.